Anne Lucy
Five men arrested this week as part of a joint garda and revenue operation targeting organised crime have appeared before a special sitting of Killarney District Court on Friday charged with conspiracy to import drugs.
The men aged between 45 and 28 have all been remanded in custody.
They include a Serbian national with an address in Manchester, two with addresses in Glasgow, a man from Derry in Northern Ireland and a Filipino seaman.
The men are all on low to no incomes and there was no objection from the State to applications for legal aid.
Four of the men - Miljan Koprivica(45) Bollin Drive, Manchester, Ryan Watson (31); Mailerbeg Gardens, Modiesburn Glasgow; Gary Monks (40) Amulree Place, Glasgow and Conor Costello (30) Earhart Park, Madamsbank Road, Derry NI, have been in custody since their arrest in the early hours of Monday at Meenagohane Pier on the coast of Kerry.
They had their period of detention extended at a special sitting of the court in Killarney late on Tuesday.
The four men have been charged that on dates between 11th and 13th January 2025 inclusive within the State they conspired with each other in a serious offence namely importation of controlled drugs in excess of €13,000 an offence contrary to the Criminal Justice Act 2006.
The fifth man Feljon Lao, Filipino, age 28, in custody since his arrest on a cargo ship in the Shannon Estuary is also charged with conspiring to import drugs worth over €13,000 “with one or more persons unknown”
An interpreter was sworn in to assist Mr Lao.
Detective Garda Alan Monaghan of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of formally arresting Mr Lao at Kilrush Garda Station on Friday afternoon and said he made no reply after caution.
The State’s application was to remand in custody for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Garda Inspector Hugh Twomey said.
Eimear Griffin solicitor confirmed the issue of bail did not arise because of the nature of the charge but she was lodging an application for High Court bail, she said.
The court was told Lao worked as a seaman and earned 200 dollars a week; legal aid was granted.
Detective Garda Donnacha Coakley of the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit gave evidence of formally arresting and charging Ryan Watson this afternoon at Killarney Garda Station - he made no reply to the charge, Det Coakley said.
An application for High Court bail was prepared, solicitor Padraig O’Connell said. Judge David Waters granted legal aid after hearing he earned €175 euro a week.
Detective Garda Tom O’Sullivan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in the case of Gary Monks in Killarney Garda Station on Friday afternoon. He made no reply to the charge, Det O’Sullivan said.
His solicitor Padraig O’Connell said Mr Monks was unemployed and on disability. Judge Waters granted legal aid.
Garda Marguerite A Reilly of the drugs and organised crime bureau gave evidence of arresting Conor Costello in Tralee Garda Station on Friday afternoon. He made no reply when charged, she said.
The Derry man’s solicitor Brendan Ahern said an application for legal aid would be made.
Garda Damien O’Neill also of the national crime bureau, said Miljan Koprivica was arrested at 3:15 pm in Tralee Garda Station and he had made no reply to the charge.
An application for legal aid was granted to his solicitor Pat Mann after the court heard he had no income, no assets or savings.
Judge David Waters remanded all five in custody to appear via video link in Tralee next Wednesday, January 22nd. An interpreter has been ordered for Mr Lao.
Over twenty gardaí from the national drugs and organised crime bureau based in Dublin Castle along with detectives from the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unio were in court for the proceedings and there was a high level of security at the court.
A previous special sitting on Tuesday night where extension for holding in custody for the purposes of investigation was granted, heard how the four men arrested at Meenogahane pier had hired a cottage in Ballinskelligs in the south of the county and had travelled by Landrover to Meenogahane pier on Sunday last.
They were observed setting off on a Rigid Inflatable Boat around midnight on Sunday and returned after 5am.
They were apprehended by gardaí and brought to stations in Killarney. The land rover has been seized and searched.
Mobile phones and other highly encrypted digital equipment was seized and is being analysed.
The investigators are liaising with international agencies as part of the wider investigation, including Interpol, Europol, the Maritime drugs investigation unit based in Portugal and UK forces. Further arrests are anticipated according to sources.
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